Letters

Dear Editor,
Earlier this year, County Councilor Chris Chandler told us that what the voters would decide in the REC Bond election, would become the “Council’s marching orders.” So I ask, was a $5 million or a $7 million kiddie pool the voters’ “marching orders”? A $5 million pool was questionable. But $7 million? Citizens voiced their opinions and made their voices heard on May 23, 2017.
We had hoped that our County Council would vote on what the majority wanted. Democracy in action. Apparently, that was asking too much.
Further, Councilor Susan O’Leary told us that “if the bond fails, $7 million in CIP funds allocated to the projects is likely to be distributed to non-recreation projects vying for that money.” If only voters had known what this actually meant: “if the bond fails, $7 million in CIP funds will be distributed for an expanded kiddie pool.” Unbelievable!

Dear Editor,
On Aug. 8, 2017, the County Council voted to just do a small kiddie pool for $5 million, instead of using the entire $7,816,000 that was in the projected budget for a multi-generational pool. Since then the county staff did the research as requested by the council and has now presented a design for the $5 million, they had to leave out the lazy river and the water slide and it is now just a zero-entry, warm water pool with some water sprays.

The extra $2 million will bring back the lazy river and water slide. The county has the money to make a nice family recreational pool that can be enjoyed by all ages, all year around. What are we waiting for!

Thirty years ago, the entire Aquatic Center was $4 million things are not going to get cheaper. This community can afford to do this for our families, what we can’t afford is to wait any longer!

I missed out on completing the citizen survey of attitudes towards the above, but wanted to register my opinion before your meeting tomorrow. I agree with comments that the recent code enforcement and county attitudes towards the code in general are over-reaching and excessive. The power of the county to tell people what their houses and yard should look like is limited to health and safety issues only.

I also agree that the county code and related enforcement smacks of a homeowners’ association of private parties, and is not authorized by governmental powers. This is still the Wild West and we Westerners love it that way; people who want homeowner associations should move down to Tanoan or back to the East Coast.

While monster weeds and obstructive junk on curbs may fall within the realm of governmental regulation, peeling paint and the cosmetic appeal of yards is not health and safety related. The influence of real estate agents on the county council is also excessive and a conflict of interest, designed to line their own pockets through sales commissions rather than in support of public welfare.

Dear Editor,
This is in response to the Oct. 15 Los Alamos Monitor article Trump won’t pull out of ‘worst’ Iran nuclear deal – for now. this was written by Matthew Lee, AP Diplomatic Writer.
On Oct. 13, President Trump gave a speech stating Iran was not following the Nuclear Deal negotiated and signed by the P5+1 in 2015. All other parties and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have stated often that Iran is living up to its actions under the agreement.
Trump’s action is dangerous and ‘against the national security interests of the USA.’
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, aka, the Iran nuclear deal) is excellent; it is far better and more extensive than I ever expected.
If followed by all parties, it blocks all avenues for Iran to develop nuclear explosives. To be sure, it is vehemently opposed by Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and some Republicans in Congress.
I am a physicist who worked in nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation for 38 years at LANL. The majority of my efforts were for and with the IAEA that has the responsibility of inspecting the nuclear facilities of states signatory to the Treaty on NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The biased, deceptive science-teaching standards proposed by the Martinez administration are the latest evidence that today’s Republican Party is unfit to govern.

Science is the systematic investigation of the physical world in which we live. It seeks to accurately describe and quantify physical phenomena and to propose models and theories that will allow us to make future predictions.

It is a continuing endeavor in which theories and models are tested, modified or abandoned to reflect new observations and experimental results.

Although no human undertaking is infallible, science is inherently self-correcting.

When we reject science, we reject reality and we lose the ability to make rational, information-based decisions for ourselves, our families, our nation and the future of humanity.

Unfortunately, due to religious/regional cultures, our ineffectual educational system, special interest groups, and ignorant/corrupt politicians, the U.S. is one of the most science-illiterate societies in the developed world.

Whereas many take pride in proclaiming that the U.S. is an “exceptional nation,” a nation that makes decisions based illusion or disinformation, rather than reality, cannot survive.

Dear Editor,
I was pretty surprised that LA County is actually contemplating fining folks for not “securing” their trash bins in a “secure” building? Many residents don’t have a garage or secure building to place their trash bin in? I spoke to one resident who stated, “I guess I’ll have to bring my trash bin into my home.” Ahhh the smell of rotting garbage.

Then there are those folks who actually put out food and water for the bears/wildlife. They are concerned the wildlife is not adequately hydrated or healthy, seriously? These residents are teaching/conditioning wildlife to be dependent, they are not pets. I believe fines should be imposed on these folks before contemplating such a ridiculous proposition.

Dear Editor,
The Los Alamos Ranch School began 100 years ago as the dream of Ashley Pond Jr. who envisioned a school where boys who were growing up sickly in polluted eastern cities could come out west, ride horses and recover their health.

He hired A.J. Connell, a forest ranger and Boy Scout leader, to direct the school.

Dear Editor,
Some readers may be aware that the Los Alamos Ski Club is seeking a second new arrangement for Pajarito Mountain. The original proposal was to transfer ownership of the ski area to the county, and a private company would operate it.

However, that never actually happened, and now the club has voted to transfer ownership directly to this private company. The next step is for the County Council to approve funding for a water pipeline.

I believe this poses an unacceptable risk that the public will lose access to the mountain.

This opinion is based on my reading of the ski club’s background memo to members. Quotes are from the memo, which is very helpful in understanding the situation but received very limited circulation.

I am disappointed that the ski club is making a very significant decision that affects everyone in town but made no apparent effort to seek or incorporate the opinions of the public. We did not learn about this proposal until a concerned club member pointed it out only a few days before the vote.

The ski club’s board assures us that the public’s interests will be protected. This conclusion is not supported by the evidence.

I call on all Christians to join with me in observing Thursday, Sept. 14, as a day of prayer and fasting, acknowledging that “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son (Jesus the Messiah) that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 in the Holy Bible, TLB version)

May Americans believe in Jesus so much that we again trust and obey God’s laws to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets (in the Bible) stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.” This summary was given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40 TLB.